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This test consists of 5 short answer questions and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. The newspaper story says that which of the following was turned up when a civilian's yard was bombed?

2. What biblical location does the narrator allude to as he carries Joseph to safety?

3. What is the author's opinion about what the characters will say in his book?

4. What interests Volpatte the most while the men are on leave?

5. What was the purpose of the patrol that Lamuse, Barque, Biquet, and Eudore died on?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The author makes it a point to center the narrative spotlight on a number of inexplicable or irrational actions on the part of the French army and its officers. The army does much that makes little sense, and this tends to reinforce the theme of hopeless and pointless waste.

Part 1) Describe some examples of actions on the part of the French army and its officers that seems to make little sense.

Part 2) Explain the reaction of the men of Bertrand's squad to this irrationality. Cite specific examples of these reactions and explain their significance.

Part 3) Speculate as to the reasoning behind some of these unexplained or mysterious actions. Could there be well-founded explanations for some of these behaviors? In the case of actions with no apparent explanation, speculate about how such an action became sanctioned and approved by the military.

Essay Topic 2

The brutality and deprivation of life in the trenches is a near-constant throughout the squad's travels and experiences. Although many men of the squad grumble and complain about their conditions, others develop a philosophical outlook and accept their state for as long as they must. This struggle to deal with the seemingly unbearable conditions in the trenches is a constant psychological challenge for the men of the squad, alleviated occasionally by leave and quartering in villages.

Part 1) Describe some of the hardships faced by the men when living in the trenches. How healthy and sanitary are the conditions? How much protection do the men have from weather or from sudden enemy attack? How comfortably are they able to eat, live, and sleep?

Part 2) Explain some of the ways that the men deal with their situation in the trenches. What luxuries and activities are considered welcome diversions? Explain examples discussed in the book of the men acting to make their situation physically more pleasant. Discuss psychological adaptations that the men make to better deal with their surroundings.

Part 3) How do the men react to the occasional respite from trench life? What luxuries of normal life do they relish? How do the men make the most of their leaves and opportunities to escape from the trenches?

Essay Topic 3

Trench warfare features heavily in the novel, and brutality of a frontal assault on a trench is shown in detail in the title chapter, "Under Fire."

Part 1) Based on information from the book, describe the basics of trench warfare. Why are trenches necessary? How is a trench defended and assaulted?

Part 2) Cite examples from the book to show how successful frontal assaults against trenches usually are. What dangers does an assaulting force face on their approach to the trench?

Part 3) Describe the overall effectiveness of this kind of warfare. Based on the events of the novel, does this kind of warfare appear decisive?

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